He looked leggy and leaden-footed by his own sky-high standards - yet Harry Kane was still able to keep his bid for the Golden Boot alive.
Brave Brighton denied his Spurs side all three points, courtesy of a Pascal Gross penalty just two minutes after Kane’s 48th-minute strike.
But Mauricio Pochettino’s fourth-placed side look good for the top four anyway while Chris Hughton has all but secured another season of top flight football at the Amex.
From his “claiming” activity on social media last week, Kane still has that Golden Boot on his mind. With a third consecutive award at stake and Liverpool’s Mo Salah rampaging towards it - the Egyptian has 30 goals to Kane’s 26 - you can understand the England striker’s determination not to let it slip away.
It is almost certainly one of the reasons why he looks to have rushed his return from his ankle injury at Bournemouth last month.
Kane’s only goal from his previous six games had been THAT controversial effort at Stoke, the source of so much merriment from rival fans and players.
Here there was no need for the Premier League, the Dubious Goals Panel or anyone from Match of the Day to get involved.
His powerfully-struck effort will have been just the boost Kane needed after the widespread stick he had to put up with last week.
Toby Alderweireld - making his first Premier League start since October - was another big plus for Spurs, in from the cold and playing with a confidence that surely now forces him into the first-team picture.
For so long here it looked as though Pochettino’s men would not find a way through at all.
It was 28 minutes before Kane even attempted a run at the Brighton defence, only to be easily snuffed out. Two minutes later he turned Shane Duffy on the edge of the box, only to slip and scoop his shot to safety.
Instead it was Lucas Moura and Son Heung Min who tested Brighton during the first half. Moura had Brighton keeper Mat Ryan arching his back to tip over a 25-yard drive that looked to be heading under the bar.
Son had Ryan flinging an arm down to his left to keep out a low effort on the stroke of half time.
It was in three minutes after the break that Spurs finally found a way through. Son did superbly on the byline to keep the ball in play before Kane lashed it in off defender Bruno.
Joy for the north Londoners turned to frustration from the restart, however. Brighton immediately broke down the left, worked the ball into the box and clumsy Serge Aurier bundled over Jose Izquierdo. A stonewall penalty. Gross did the honours for a point that inches Brighton eight points clear of a bottom three that will soon need snookers.
Brighton have 11 days to rest now before they head off to Turf Moor to tangle with European hopefuls Burnley, knowing that a win will most likely keep them in top-flight football for one more year. As for Tottenham? They have the small issue of an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United on Saturday to deal with. Until then however, thank you for joining us and have a good night!
Harry Kane's close-range effort three minutes into the second half looked to have put Tottenham in control at the Amex Stadium; but a penalty from Pascal Gross two minutes later means that Brighton hold on for a vital point. The Seagulls go eight clear of the relegation zone with four games to go - and may have just secured their Premier League future in a pulsating encounter. At full-time, it finishes Brighton and Hove Albion 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur.
Ryan takes the free-kick and puts it long; both teams exchange headers and just as Spurs look to counter down the right, the referee blows for full-time! Brighton hang on for a vital point!
Mat Ryan picks that out perfectly! The keeper levels downfield - but the referee stops the game to award a free-kick to the hosts in the box regardless after a foul.
Ulloa slips just as he looked to make a slick counter-attack; Spurs return and come up with a corner on the left.
An exchange of headers clears the ball from the Spurs box and both teams try a counter to no avail. Three added minutes incoming.
Corner to Brighton after Stephens sees a deflection off a cross for March; though it is a poor effort, the hosts win another kick from the left edge.
Overall Possession Ratio
Possession
Lamela nips around Dunk and tries from close range at Ryan; the keeper bobbles and then recollects his save as he dives to the ground. Brighton hold on.
That will be Kane's last act too; Fernando Llorente arrives to take the place of the England striker.
Kane goes for goal again outside on the right edge, from 25 yards away - and slips once more, pushing it wide at the far-left post.
March's long flat ball finds Knockaert, only for Eriksen to intercept his return and counter himself; the Spurs man can only pull it wide after a 50-yard run down the left flank.
Lamela threads Son into the box on the right around the Brighton defence, and he puts a cut-back to Eriksen who puts another cut-back on to nobody. Stephens sweeps in and Brighton are off in a counter-attack.
Another lazy back-pass from Dunk is almost exploited by Kane; Ryan just nips in with a second to spare, and the keeper boots it somewhere deep into the opposition half.
Son chases a long ball flicked on by Eriksen from halfway, only to see it slip away from his boot and out to the right of goal.
Izquierdo now departs for the hosts and Solly March arrives in his place.
...and Sissoko makes way for Moussa Dembele.
Overall Possession Ratio
Possession
Duffy! The Brighton defender misses the goal - and just as well, since it was his own. On the back of a sustained spell of pressure, Tottenham turn a cross into the six-yard box where the Seagulls man sticks out a wayward boot, and deflects in dangerously close, with the ball just slipping out at the far-left post. Corner to Spurs.
Changes now for both sides; Brighton switch out Murray with Leonardo Ulloa...
...whilst for Spurs, Erik Lamela replaces Moura...
Alderweireld tries his luck from just inside the box on the left after the corner is cleared to him; he only finds the side netting with his effort, with Brighton getting the goal-kick.
Wanyama - in what is his 50th Premier League game for Spurs - sees a half-chance elude him as the pass doesn't quite come off for the Tottenham midfielder.
Aurier snakes his way downfield, and into the Brighton box, looking to pop off an effort; he finds the ball swept from under his feet with ease by Ryan, with the keeper hurling it back to midway.
Knockaert muscles his way down the left wing and sends a long cross into the box looking for Murray; his ball goes too deep for the forward, allowing the visitors to clear through Vertonghen.
Stephens concedes a soft free-kick 30 yards out on the right; Eriksen's lofted ball beats all however and bounces out for a free-kick.
Snappy play from Brighton pushes Spurs back into their own half, though players from both sides slip in the retreat. The turf has been rather lush in this game, it must be said; grip under-foot appears to be an issue.
Kane tries a cut-back header off a Son cross, looking for Eriksen; his effort is poor and Ryan gobbles it up before any Spurs player can get near.
Brighton got back in it almost instantaneously
